


Misclassification

by Weaponmojo



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Explicit Language, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person Limited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 04:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21404506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weaponmojo/pseuds/Weaponmojo
Summary: Aleta Maud Bolten, an Omega from the Kingdom of Atlas and the supposed smartest woman on Remnant, has spent years of her life tirelessly working against Atlas. Unfortunately, after being severely injured, her anonymity is gone and now she must accept the consequences. However, her pseudo-retirement isn't going to go as smoothly as she hopes.Heavily AU with A/B/O Dynamics
Kudos: 1





	1. Aleta Bolten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey! Thanks for giving my story a chance. A few quick things. First, I wanna give a huge thanks to all the people who've helped me out on this story, you guys are a huge help and I can't say thank you enough. Secondly, this story, as I said in the summary, is HEAVILY AU. Basically borderline my own thing. So, hold on tight because a LOT has changed! I'll tag more characters as they come up, but they're definitely not gonna be changed.

The consistent ear-piercing beeping. Sure it was a good thing for it to be so repetitive, but it was no less grating.

The sound of coughing - someone, somewhere - was always coughing. It was expected, why wouldn't someone have some upper respiratory issues, but the noise was almost as irritating as the beeping.

The constant clicking of keys, echoing down the barren halls and. The sound used to be so persistent in her mind, so repetitive that she tuned it out naturally, but now it was possibly the most infuriating.

She let out a sigh, finally letting her eyes open. She'd tried hard to ignore the world around her, but it wouldn't let her drift back to sleep. It didn't help that the sedatives had worn off once again, forcing her back into the waking world. Barely even glancing about the small room she sat in, she knew where everything was. The machinery to her right kept track of her vitals - when she'd first arrived, there was more of it, but her recovery had gone well enough that she was down to just the EKG, incessantly beeping away. Two armchairs, one by her bed, the other sitting beside a small table under the window. She could see the flowers on the table had been replaced in her sleep, though the colors were still mostly the same. There was a small wardrobe across from the window, pressed up against the wall of the in-room restroom. A TV hung from the ceiling in the corner, though it had been turned off at some point after she'd fallen asleep.

She shifted her fingers at the edge of the cast that covered almost all of her right arm — two severe fractures in her ulna, one in her radius and a hairline fracture in her humerus. _A year ago, I would have told them I fell down the stairs or something. Was I really that stupid? I know they never believed me anyway, even if I still mostly believed me._ She thought, shaking her head softly.

Another sigh escaped her as a familiar, almost painful, tightness came back to her chest. Three broken ribs and enough bruising to make it practically impossible to breathe a few weeks ago, now down to just sore muscles and healing bones, it still came with difficulties, but she'd live._ I hate how used to this I am. How many times have I had broken ribs?  
_

Her gaze moved down to her still covered legs, though she couldn't see it, she could feel the sturdy immobilizer holding her knee in place. _Damn, I was supposed to take that off before I went to sleep. Isa'll help me get it off when she shows up._ She winced as she tried to move the sore limb, _what was it the doctor said? Right. I'm lucky that one didn't require surgery. The physical therapy is going to be a pain as it is._

Shaking her head, she reached around to the side of the bed, pressing down so she could sit up. _If the sedatives have worn off, then it won't be long before she gets here._ She thought, reaching up to rub her neck. _Isa's never here later than 7:30. Hopefully, she's calmer today; I'm still worn out from her outburst yesterday._

She heard the door to her room shift, a few sharp knocks resonating through the small space. She'd been expecting a visitor, but this certainly wasn't the one she'd planned on seeing first thing in the morning.

The woman that entered her room wasn't quite one she knew personally, though the stiff posture, white hair pulled into a tight bun, and the Atlesian Military uniform made it clear almost immediately just who she was: Winter Schnee, a specialist in the Atlas military. None of that bothered the injured woman though, what did, of course, was the harsh scent the woman had. Though the smell of fresh snow mingled with it, the woman's scent was clearly that of an Alpha and one that was far from submissive. _An Alpha, great.  
_

_Huh, a high ranking Alpha, though? Not that weird, I guess, but what's with her posture? She has her shoulder's back like an Alpha, sure, but the way she walks makes her seem almost weightless. I don't smell an Omega on her, though, so where's that coming from?_

"I apologize for my intrusion, Miss Bolten, but-"

"Let me guess," the injured woman interrupted with a wave of her hand, "you're here to let me know my new lodging has been prepared, right? That once I'm released this afternoon I'll be carted off in an Atlas convoy to the apartment you've made almost inescapable and then I'll have the pleasure of being dragged around town to different centers for my new Alpha, which I have to pick today no matter what knowledge I'd rather have ahead of time considering the reason I ended up in the hospital in the first place. Did I miss anything?" There was venom in her voice; the Atlas military had gotten on her nerves throughout this experience. _These guys really need to learn when enough's enough. I get wanting to make sure their newest prisoner doesn't cause too many problems, but with all the whistleblowing I did for them, you'd think they'd back off a bit._

She hadn't finished speaking before she could see the small cracks in the Alpha's stoic mask, minuscule to most, but they spoke volumes when you knew what to look for.

"...only that we'll be granting you rudimentary, though heavily monitored, access to the internet. If only to select supplies and books." The Alpha's tone was still surprisingly calm, even with the indignation of the woman in front of her. "I must say when I was told you didn't fit the mold of an Omega, I was skeptical. You're truly something else." _An Alpha talking down to me? What a change of pace! Must feel good, talking down to an Omega. What a lucky woman._

"Oh, wonderful." She huffs, shifting in her bed. "Is there any reason you're still here?"

The Alpha sighs, "I'll be back at 3 pm." With a curt nod, the Alpha turned, making her way from the room and leaving the Omega woman on her own.

Sighing softly, she leaned her head back into her pillow, letting her mind wander for a moment before the harsh scent of the Alpha was covered by a familiar, much softer, Omega's scent. _Took you long enough._

Her eyes quickly settled on the smiling face of her friend. Isabelle Linholt, another Omega, a rare sight nowadays, stood in the doorway. She smiled and waved, tilting her head a bit and letting her slightly curly, shoulder-length auburn hair tumble to the side. Her blue eyes were shining some as she moved closer to her friend. She stood a few inches taller than Isa when she could stand, at least. She took note of the plain black gloves that reached up halfway her forearms. _Not trying to get more than you bargain for today, good your little probing was getting on my nerves._

"Hey, Isa, you're late." She chuckled softly, though it wasn't comfortable; it didn't hurt anymore.

Isa rubbed the back of her neck, "yeah, there was a bunch of Atlesian Knights blocking me out down the hall, I guess they had something to tell you?"

She nodded, "yeah, they were just reminding me that today's my last day of my pseudo-freedom. What annoys me is that they sent an Alpha. I think they're trying to intimidate me. News flash, kinda hard to do when I'm already in the hospital." She smirked softly, forcing an aloof mask so her friend wouldn't worry. "Of course… she did say something I didn't expect…"

Isa tilted her head, moving to sit at the foot of her bed. "What'd she say?"

"She said they changed their minds and they're letting me have some, albeit monitored, access to the internet… I can't for the life of me figure out why they'd do that."

"Oh… um…" Isa mumbled, looking away, "I… offered them a confession for a bit of leniency for you... "

_What?!_

"Isa!" She snapped, leaning forward only to wince and lean back, "I told you-"

"I know what you said, but you're still my best friend. I wasn't going to just lose all contact with you." She huffed, "this way we still get to talk and-"

"And you're stuck in Atlas! Forced to follow their laws and-"

"I know what I did, Ally." She said softly, reaching to grab her hand and squeeze it softly. "I don't mind it too much either, so long as I can visit my best friend. I don't care too much." She smiled at her, a genuine smile. It was clear by her scent, though, that the shorter Omega was worried.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I told you to run! Why do you always do this!? Why do you never come first!?_

Ally sighed softly, "so, what's your sentencing?"

"Almost the same as yours. House arrest, mandatory Alpha, no suppressors every few years." She smiled softly, "don't worry about it though, like I said I don't really mind it. I'll keep the one person I consider family now and maybe the Alpha I pick and I will get along well." She shrugged even though Ally could easily tell she was just as hesitant of what was to come as she was.

"Just be careful, the rate of Alphas going feral has doubled the past few years." _Ferals. I mean yeah, I know Alphas have attacked people, but are they really going "feral"? I haven't had time to really look into it. I should check into that soon._

"I know," she chuckles softly, letting her smile fade as her brow furrowed slightly, "are you sure you're ok to do this already..? It's only been a little over a month."

"I know, but it's not like I'll have to do anything… pick an Alpha and then heal… that's all I HAVE to do for a while…"

"I guess." Isa mumbled, frowning softly, "I won't be able to stay as long today, I'm being taken to get my Alpha at around noon. After that, I go to my new home, been a while since I had one of those." She laughed, forcing a bit of a smile.

Ally smiled back, "you and me both, Isa. At least now, we won't lose what family we have." She watched as that brought a genuine sliver of happiness to the shorter Omega's eyes, it was a simple gesture, but it seemed to mean the world to her friend. That seemed to help, focus on the positives for now. _There's not a lot of them, but she's doing a lot for me, so it's the least I can do for her._

There was a moment of silence between them, not exactly an awkward one, but it made Ally a little uncomfortable. Isa was typically really talkative, holding up the majority of the conversation on her own so Ally could just relax and enjoy the company. This time, however, she was unusually quiet, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. _Is she ok?_

Clearing her throat, Ally tried to get the conversation going again. "So uh… were you just allowed to come here unattended?"

"Oh, no. I have a Beta outside. Curt and a little rude, but he could be worse. He's my escort throughout the day."

"Only one? I have almost a full platoon." Ally joked, letting herself relax back into her bed.

"Yeah, well, one of us gave themselves up a lot more willingly." She retorted, a small smirk on her features. "The other only got caught when she literally couldn't run away anymore."

Ally rolled her eyes, chuckling softly. "I guess you have a point, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

The pair continued their gentle banter throughout their short time together. They shared one last meal before Isa had to go on her way. Though Ally didn't have much of an appetite, she never really did, they still enjoyed the thought of the activity.

Before Isa left, she helped Ally get dressed in her more casual attire, letting her stand in the bathroom and look over herself for a moment with the shorter Omega at her side.

Dark brown hair cascaded off her shoulders, a little knotted and unkempt but nothing a little downtime with a brush, and both hands, wouldn't fix. Tired green eyes stared back at her as she glanced across her pale skin and thin frame. A loose dark blue hoodie and a simple pair of jeans hugged what curves she did have. She couldn't put them on herself, but she had a pair of knockoff canvas shoes on, so she'd be ready to go when Winter returned.

She certainly didn't look the part of an Omega, unlike Isa did. They seemed to be almost perfect opposites: taller and thin with barely any curves to speak of VS the shorter, stouter, and curvier frame of her friend. She was almost envious of Isa in that regard, knowing most Alphas would prefer her friend's frame over her's.

She shook her head; _that's not something I should worry about. Stupid, pointless insecurities._

Isa gently rested a hand on her shoulder, "you're looking a lot better than you used to. There's actually a bit of life in your cheeks now."

Ally let out a breath, something somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh, before turning to look at Isa. "Yeah, I guess so. Doesn't mean I look good, though."

"I dunno, get a little more meat on your bones, and Alphas will be bearing down on you, trying to get a piece." _Yeah right. You're too nice._

They shared one last laugh before a harsh voice cut in.

"Ms. Linholt, it's time to go." The Beta barked. With a glance at his shoulder, Ally caught his name: Sgt. Azure. A fitting name considering the biting blue eyes and slicked-back blue spikes the man wore.

Even if the rest of Remnant had adopted a more Omega focused hierarchy, Atlas still preferred their Betas over all else. _It doesn't matter who's in charge, just treat everyone right. Atlas doesn't seem to get that._

Isa frowned, giving Ally one last hug before pulling away and smiling. "We'll be able to talk as soon as you get to your new home. Maybe they'll even let me visit some."

Ally gave a nod in response, grabbing her crutch from off the wall and sliding it under her shoulder so she could make her way back to bed. "Yeah, I'll see you soon, Isa. Stay safe.

"You too, Ally."

And with that, the Omega was alone again, sitting on the edge of her hospital bed with a sigh. They'd cut the EKG off hours before, which made things a bit more tolerable, but now everything just felt far too quiet.

The next few hours passed unbearably slowly as Ally moved from sitting on her bed to pacing, ignoring the pains that came and went as she hobbled around the hospital room.

She noticed the woman's scent far sooner than she made herself known, the strangely sour mix of snow and ice that followed the Alpha around.

Winter cleared her throat, "Ms. Bolten. It's time to go."

Ally turned to the Alpha, motioning to the bag of her belongings in one of the armchairs. "Kinda can't carry that and walk right now, mind giving me a hand? You're the one that has two working ones."

The Alpha let out a soft sigh." Your animosity is not appreciated; however, I am more than willing to carry your belongings." She snatched up the bag, throwing it over her shoulder.

_When it comes to helping me, she's surprisingly willing. Then what's her problem? Does she not want to be sent on such a simple mission? Does she not like the fact that I'm an Omega? I don't get it._

The Omega was ushered down to a bit of a convoy. A line of presumably armored vehicles, one of which was explicitly accessible to someone in Ally's condition.

As soon as the pair had settled into the back, they were off, leaving them in mostly silence.

Ally took the time to one-handedly dig through her bag. She knew that most of the technology was gone, her scroll unfortunately included. However, she didn't mind that so much, merely checking to make sure her few chosen keepsakes hadn't been removed.

She went down the list in her head: a locket, a small bear, a few pictures with her and Isa, and lastly, a simple wristband. She slipped the band around her wrist, happy she still had the simple possession.

No sooner had she put her bag down then Winter spoke. "You're fortunate, you know." _Now you wanna talk, and that's how you start it?_ She thought, her blood beginning to boil already.

"No, I don't know." Ally cut back, raising her arm still wrapped in the cast, "I feel like I got a pretty short end to this stick."

"That's not what I'm referring to." The specialist responded. The fact she still held such a stiff posture almost pushed her anger further, but she kept her emotions in check as best she could. "I'm speaking about your sentencing. Some of the council members would have rather executed you, or worse. If it weren't for General Ironwood-" _right, the most well-known Alpha general in Atlas_ \- "you likely would have been."

She paused a moment before responding. _She's not wrong. If Ironwood hadn't come to me personally, I likely would have lost my head, though helping them catch a few other criminals in a similar vein certainly helped. Editing their precious census comes with a pretty harsh reprimand, and I did a lot more. Even then, this is the last place I'd like to be a prisoner in. Vale definitely would have been better, maybe even Mistral. Vacuo, well, Vacuo would have gotten me killed a while ago, but that's neither here nor there. Out of everywhere, this is the worst place for an Omega, even worse for Alphas._

"You're right; I am pretty lucky." She responded slowly, "and at the same time, I couldn't have been any unluckier. I'm sure you've noticed, Atlas doesn't treat our kinds too kindly compared to other kingdoms."

"Atlas treats its people as fairly as any other kingdom."

"Do you really believe that? You're an Alpha. You're on the bottom of their messed up hierarchy!"

"Alphas, when untrained, can be extremely dangerous."

"No, Alphas that are surrounded by misclassed Betas and Omegas are dangerous because your system is flawed."

"No one is misclassed."

"Really? Because I was classified as a Beta, and last I checked Weiss Schnee has a lot of people claiming she uses way too high a dose of suppressors." _Weiss, Winter's younger sister, and a supposed Beta. I'm banking off second-hand information, but I wouldn't put it past them to misclass her as well._

Winter's next rebuttal came with a sliver of hesitation. _Good, she's not going to underestimate me going forward._

Ally didn't give her a chance to respond, snatching that moment of hesitation for all it was worth. "Furthermore, if you really think Atlas treats it's people well, then why did YOUR father petition to LOWER the stipends Omegas get! And did you forget the fact that Alphas AND Omegas struggle to get any reasonable jobs!?"

"That's-"

"An Omega is expected to be a teacher, a nurse, or a supporter of her Alpha, the provider. What happens? They get a job for maybe a year or two, maybe a waitress or a saleswoman in a store, and then they're fired. It's not right, but your kingdom doesn't care. So long as the Betas are happy, the Omegas and Alphas can suffer. Right? Are you so blind by tradition and military honor to see that not every Alpha gets to be a soldier? Not every Alpha gets to be a hero, or a hunter, or even anything more than some Omega's toy because they're seen as dangerous and unstable. Even Alphas themselves are believing what your kingdom says they are." Her chest burned as she pushed on, each breathe irritating injured ribs. "Has your father convinced you that this broken system is right?!"

"Ironwood-"

"Ironwood? Oh, yes, Ironwood. An Alpha with an ability so perfect for being a commanding officer he soared through the ranks before half the lies about ferals even began!"_ I get it,_ she thought, _she doesn't want to be here because she thinks I'm crazy. She believes that I'm some extremist nut job. She's just an idiot._

There was a moment of silence as Ally caught her breathe. Before Winter could respond, the van they were in came to a stop, leaving Ally with the freedom of undoing her harness and pushing herself to her feet.

She left her bag where it sat; _I'll grab it when I get back_, she thought. With her crutch under her arm, she silently limped her way out of the vehicle and into the Alpha center. She despised these buildings, always referring to them as glorified animal shelters, but her thoughts on the matter held no bearing as the guards ushered her inside. _At least these places give Alphas a chance at a half-decent life. If they can't find some sort of job staying here and hoping for an Omega is honestly their best choice._

* * *

It had been three hours since her search for an Alpha had begun. In that time, she'd gone through exactly 132 different Alphas and none of which had done a single impressive thing. Not a single Alpha had caught her attention in the three separate Alpha centers she'd been forced to visit.

Every building had been more or less the same. Immaculate outside, clean and tidy, a perfect presentation. Though anyone going in knew the Alphas would be far from clean or tidy. These centers were homeless shelters from the start, cordoned off to only those classified as an Alpha even if their scent said otherwise.  
The room she sat in was almost a perfect copy of the other two centers she'd gone to as well. _The same table, plain brick walls, and uncomfortable chairs. It's almost like these places take the government money and abuse it instead of using it where they're supposed to._

She scrolled through the list of remaining Alphas in the latest center, rasping her fingers against the clean, presumably aluminum table. She paused at one of the portraits. It was a decently recent picture, all of them had been taken within the last year supposedly, and the expression on the Alpha's face caught her attention in a strange way. She motioned to Winter, "I want to meet with this one." She said flatly, not even looking up at the specialist.

It took only about 20 minutes for the Alpha to be brought to her.

Standing at an approximated six-foot-tall, she certainly towered over the much shorter Omega. The differences between their aesthetics didn't end there, of course.

The Alpha she'd requested to see was a Faunus, a large dog of some sort, with almost rust-colored hair and a bushy, though matted, tail. She had a broad physique, not uncommon in Alphas, strength barely hidden beneath the threadbare clothing she wore. Large, dark brown eyes glanced up and down the Omega, sorrow poorly concealed within them. One thing Ally noted with a good bit of approval was the Alpha's scent. Most of the ones she'd spoken with had a scent that assaulted her senses, almost made her feel sick, but this one's was much calmer to her.

She motioned the Alpha to sit and watched her move. Her tail hung low, even with a soft smile on her lips. _Slumped shoulders, downcast gaze, hands in her lap, and an overall sorrowful scent to her. Curious._

There was a moment before Ally spoke, "Your name is Fox, correct? You were never given a surname. From an orphanage directly to the center, it seems." The Alpha simply nodded in response, causing Ally to narrow her gaze. "My name is Aleta Maud Bolten, it's nice to meet you, but I need to ask, is there a reason you haven't spoken? The other Alphas I spoke with were quick to try and give their best, yet you sit in silence."

Fox looked down at her hands, fiddling with her nail for a moment before she spoke. "I just don't have anything to offer. I've been homeless long enough to know there's no getting out of it."

Ally drew her lips into a tight line before she spoke again, "tell me, can you pick out my scent in this room?" _It shouldn't be difficult, with only Winter and a Beta guard in the room, my scent should stand out to any discerning Alpha._

"Well, yeah, of course."

"Then pray tell, what does it smell like? Is it overly sweet? Strangely bitter?"

"No." She said simply, closing her eyes for a moment, "it's sweet but not like something baked. It's like honey and some of the old books they let me read, the smell of paper and ink and a little bit of leather." A soft smile came to her lips before she opened her eyes and suddenly looked down, "s-sorry…" Her smile faded quickly after that.

Raising an eyebrow, the Omega asked, "for what?"

"I was rambling. That's not what you asked me to do."

"No, you did exactly as I asked. You explained how my scent smelled to you." She scrolled to the bottom of the Alpha's file, and with a few taps and a bit of information input, she spoke once more. "Today, Fox, is certainly your lucky day. Being the 138th Alpha I've looked over today, you're the first who's scent didn't revolt me," she paused for a moment before continuing, "and you seem like a genuinely nice woman. So, since I have to pick an Alpha today and you're the first that I feel I can tolerate for the rest of my life -" she punctuated her words by tapping "confirm" on the scroll she'd been using, "you'll be coming home with me."

This seemed to surprise the Alpha. Raising her head, she asked, "Are you sure? No one's-"

"I'm not them." Ally cut her off, looking her in the eye, "now I'm pretty sure you need to collect what possessions you have so we can leave. I'm sure my guards are sick of being here about as much as I am." _Sudden, out of the blue, why did I just ramble that off? I've been spending too much time with Isa.  
_

Fox seemed confused, but she did as she was told, coming back not 30 minutes later with a simple pack over her shoulder. They confirmed she'd collected everything she wanted to bring with before she was given a simple collar, explained to the pair by Winter to be a way of keeping track of them without having guards stationed outside their door 24/7, and the new couple were ushered back out to the van.

Winter sat on one side of the slightly cramped van while Ally and Fox sat side by side on the other. Closing her eyes for a moment at the beginning of their trip, Ally took note of the new Alpha's scent; silently, she ran down the list of what the Alpha's scent reminded her of. Through hints of wet dog and a slight bitter tinge, she could make out smells similar to sunflowers and a summer's breeze in the Forever Fall Forest.

Though Winter sat in silence, Ally tried her best to make conversation with her chosen Alpha.

"So Fox, why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself?"

The Alpha paused for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck before she started speaking. "Well, you already know I grew up in an orphanage. I uh… I liked playing ball when I was young." _She's struggling, is she hiding something or is she just nervous? Her body language hasn't changed much._ "The ladies that ran the orphanage I went to were a bit cruel," but it could have been worse."

Fox paused for a moment, shifting in her seat before she continued. "Then there was school. It wasn't a very great place, not a lot of books and the teachers were overworked and underpaid. I learned what I could, but if it weren't for the books at the center, I'd still be pretty bad at reading, and I'm not very good at math, still."

"Did you have many friends?" She asked, probing a bit deeper. _Now she's stiff, obviously uncomfortable, and refusing to make eye contact. Is she scared of me?_ The Omega thought, cocking her head to the side and letting her hair tumble down at bit.

Clearing her throat, Fox continued, "Not really. In the orphanage, we all kind of played together, but most of the other Alphas didn't really like me. I never really liked playing rough, and that's all they wanted to do." She paused a moment, reaching up to rub her shoulder a bit before she continued. "I did have one friend in the center. This big liger Faunus, Kiel. Kind, gentle, protective to a fault, and nice as they come that guy. Fortunately for him, he was picked up by an Omega earlier today, but I dunno if I'll see him again."

_So, that's it, is it?_ The Omega thought. _She's not scared of me; she's worried about feeling alone. She's probably felt alone almost her whole life._

"I'm sorry you lost your friend." She said, trying to reassure the Alpha that everything would be ok. "But at least you're not alone in the center anymore."

The Alpha looked at her for a moment before nodding. _Hopefully, that assuages some of her fears. She's not alone now, and she won't be for a while.  
_

"What about you?" She asked as she took a glance at the Omega." Do you have friends?"

Ally paused a moment, looking at Winter before turning back to Fox. _I can certainly tell her about Isa, but anyone else isn't someone I can mention with her here._

"I had one friend for a really long time. Her name's Isa. She's very selfless and kind. Honestly, she deserves a better friend than me." She reached up to rub the back of her neck silently adding, _and she's stuck in Atlas because I trusted the wrong person._

"She sounds like a great friend. Was she a Beta?"

"No, actually. Though the chances of us becoming friends were pretty low considering the number of Omegas still in Atlas. She's an Omega." Ally glanced back to the

Alpha, furrowing her brow. _She's thinking about something. I wonder what's on her mind. Her shoulders are a little looser, so she's not as tense as she was, but there's definitely something bothering her still._

"What's on your mind?"

Fox seemed to flinch some at the question, turning her gaze back to the hands in her lap. _Slumped shoulders, lowered gaze, is she depressed, or is it a sensitive topic?_

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

"No, no, you're the Omega, you deserve to know."

_Her tone isn't a positive one, whatever she's about to say could be pretty bad._

"I was just thinking… if you had a friend like Isa, how did you get so hurt? Don't friends protect each other?"

Ally blinked, looking down at her cast. _Of course, she's an Alpha. Her first thought is to protect the people she cares about, and, with how few Betas and Omegas she's had the opportunity to interact with, it wouldn't be strange for her to assume that's how everyone thinks._

She smiled softly, the edges obviously forced up, as she answered. "Isa is a great friend, but I'm not. She tried to protect me, but I didn't listen."

"Why not? I mean, you knew she was just trying to help you, right?"

"Yeah, but at the time, I just… ruled it as she was jealous." She looked down at her hands, catching herself fiddling with her bracelet. Forcing herself to stop, she let out a sigh, "can we not talk about this right now?" _It's a good thing she's worried about my health, but at this moment I'd rather talk about anything else._

"Ok, I'm sorry if I-"

"Don't be. I got myself hurt. It's not your fault. It's just a tender topic. I'll tell you all about it later." With a solemn nod, the Alpha let the topic fall.

They finished their ride in silence as they were escorted off the van. Winter followed close behind as Fox helped Ally down.

Standing out front of the building, it seemed like any other apartment building in the Common District of Atlas. _A simple brick building, four floors, the number of military shows it'll just be Fox and me in the building. They really don't want me communicating with anyone they don't have wrapped around their finger, don't they? _She sniffed the air softly before furrowing her brow. _That scent… they didn't, did they?_ She ignored the thought, probably just caught a trace of the scent from her belongings or something.

"Alright, I'll show you which apartment you're assigned to. The keys will be supplied, and I will leave you to get settled." Winter spoke, dragging the Omega out of her thoughts.

She didn't have time to respond before the specialist was leading them into the building. _The architecture is basic. A central hall of stairs, of course, it's stairs. Each floor seems to be its own apartment, at least, so we'll have a decent amount of space. _  
The specialist stopped on the third floor, unlocking the door before holding the key out to Fox, who took it and shoved it in her pocket quickly. "That's your key. If either of you leaves, it must be together. Take your belongings and get settled in, someone will be around in the morning to find out if you need anything else." _She's curt. Maybe what I said earlier got to her._ Ally thought, a slight smirk on her features.

Fox helped Ally inside while Winter closed the door behind them.

Ally took a moment to look around, wincing softly as her knee begged her to stop. _Two bedrooms, a nice sized living room, a fully supplied kitchen - that's surprising - fairy well furnished as well. I'm sure there's a closet full of blankets and pillows and the like as well. If I didn't know better, I'd assume they were trying to keep me appeased so I wouldn't leave. Hah, they are scared of me._

The living room had a relatively plush looking couch as well as an armchair, two end tables to either side of the sofa, a coffee table, and an entertainment system. A few bookshelves were lining the back wall, though mostly bare, and a severe lack of a television or any other device for the entertainment stand to hold.

The bedrooms were almost identical to one another. A twin bed with plain white trimmings, a nightstand with a lamp, a single window, a tall bookshelf, and a simple desk. There was a closet on the far wall with a chest of drawers in the back. _They'll probably bring the electronics in later. I wasn't supposed to have anything like that anyway, so it's unsurprising they don't have them on hand._

She was just about to start looking through closets and cupboards when she felt her weight leave her feet. She'd been so focused on her investigation she hadn't noticed the Alpha trying to get her attention. So instead of waiting for her response, Fox had taken it into her own hands to make the Omega rest. She found herself on the couch a few moments later with Fox carefully removing the immobilizer.

"What are you doing?" Ally asked with a strange mix of relief and anger in her chest.

"You… you need to rest. It obviously hurts to walk like that, and you can't just keep pushing yourself. Omegas don't heal like Alphas do, right? It takes you guys longer." _Is she worried about my health? I guess Alpha's are just that way…_ She thought, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Alright. Fine. I'll take a break." _It's better just to let an Alpha follow their instincts. She's just trying to be helpful._

"Thank you, when was the last time you ate? You look-"

"Yes, I could go from something to eat." She said quickly. _I know I don't look good, you don't have to rub it in._ "Just make sure you eat, too, and grab whatever you want. I don't know what they have here, but don't think you're supposed to eat that feed. Those centers treat Alphas like trash."

Fox seemed hesitant at first before nodding and moving to the kitchen. Ally could watch her work from the couch, thanks to the reasonably open floor plan on the apartment. _That looks like a microwave meal… has she never used a microwave before? Do they really treat Alphas so poorly? I would have assumed they'd at least teach them how to take care of themselves._ The Omega sighed softly; shifting so she sat a bit straighter across the couch. "You know a sandwich would be fine, I can teach you how to cook when I can walk a bit better."

Fox jumped slightly, grimacing, "is it...that obvious?"

"It's not your fault, make what you can, and I'm sure it'll suffice." I can't condemn her for what Atlas does to their Alphas. I just have to try and help her wherever I can.

"Are you sure? You're recovering from some pretty bad injuries. You should eat well."

_She's so focused on my well being. Why? She barely knows me._ "I do, but we can make an exception until you know more."

"I guess." She conceded, putting away the frozen meal and carefully picking out the pieces for a sandwich.

_She seems disappointed, was she trying to impress me?_ She tugged at her lip as she waited for her food. C_ertainly not. She's just trying to prove she's worth my time. No Alpha would want to be returned to the center. This is her way out and up, it'd be foolish to assume she thought of it as anything else._

Before she could go any deeper into her thoughts, the Alpha returned to her side, holding out a glass of water and a plain ham and cheese sandwich. "Here you go. I hope this is enough."

Ally pushed a smile, "thank you, I know it seems like a small gesture, but any help goes a long way when you're in my condition."

Fox nodded, "alright, is there anything else I can do?"

"Of course, pick your room and get settled, they seem to be basically the same. We can worry about what goes where and what we have later. For the time being, we just need to learn our new home."

"Our… I knew I didn't notice your scent here from before… can I ask what happened? Why are we here and not somewhere you've been before?"

_Right, of course, she'd know an Omega would scent her home. What's the best way to explain this? Isa would say honesty's the best policy. She wasn't exactly the most honest when we first met, though._ She shook her head, _rambling in my mind isn't going to make this go away._

"I was… assaulted... in my home. The scene is traumatic, so they helped me get a new apartment, along with a few other things. I'm sure you noticed we're kind of under surveillance. I actually had to work pretty hard to keep as much freedom as we have."

"I won't ask about who hurt you, but can I know what you did?"

_What I did?_ "That's... a rather long story. Why don't you go get yourself something to eat and then I'll tell it, ok?" She forced a half-smile, tilting her head some as if to show some mild submissive behaviors.

Fox stood, moving to make herself a sandwich while Ally ate her's.

_Telling her this on the first day? Not my original plan, sure, but at least it'll be out in the open. Do I start at the beginning? Should I just tell the important parts?_ She watched as the Alpha moved back towards her, sitting on the coffee table and turning her gaze back to her.

_No, I know exactly where to start._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, thanks for making it to the end! I'm going to try to post updates to this about every other week so please stay tuned and I'll see you guys soon! Critiques are much appreciated and thanks again for your time!


	2. A Better Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! Weaponmojo here! I'm excited to say we made it to chapter two! Thanks for reading this far and I hope you guys are enjoying it. A bit of a warning, there is a scene that alludes to some pretty heavy stuff so if you wanna avoid it look for the horizontal lines. Beyond that, I have a couple of thank yous to give out! First and foremost thanks to my beta reader! You're a huge help and I'm lucky to have you! Second, to my friend that helped me with the nightmare, you're awesome, and I couldn't have done it without you! Lastly, thank you to everyone that's reading this; it really means a lot! I'll see you guys at the end of the chapter for a couple of notes about the next chapter.

Ally sat in silence a moment, her sandwich half-eaten in her hand. She took a deep breath, as deep a breath as she could, at least, giving herself a moment before she cleared her throat.

"It's not a very interesting story, not in my opinion at least, but you wanted to know what I did, and if I'm gonna tell you that, then I should start at the beginning. There's a lot of story to tell so, get comfy."

She cleared her throat again before she began. "As I'm sure you know, there are three kinds of people: Alphas, Betas, and Omegas." She started, obviously trying to delay a bit longer, "I know these are the basics, but it makes it easier for me to start here.

Alphas, as you know first hand, are usually bigger, stronger, and typically they're considered wiser, even if Betas don't want to listen. Though, in recent history, they've been heavily vilified and cast aside as too animalistic for their own good by the Atlas council. Even the high ranking military officials that are Alphas are treated pretty poorly, other than the General himself.

Omegas are the exact opposite; by the standards for an Omega, you're supposed to be smaller, frailer. You're supposed to be motherly and caring and accept your place without question. Though, that doesn't entirely sound like the omegas you were taught about, does it? After what happened over a century ago, these old rules are barely applicable, if at all. Now omegas are caught in this weird middle ground of being essential and still mostly downtrodden. Unless you're in Vacuo, then you should be just as scared of an Omega as you are of an Alpha

Then, there are the Betas. The middle line between strength and compassion. Generally considered, the more intelligent of the three, often capable of the most complex planning beyond just their instincts, supposedly. This, of course, is the one set of stereotypical behavior that's been continued, at least here in Atlas. Betas are smarter, so we should just listen to their judgment."

She paced herself as she spoke, breathing more within her bounds as she did so. _She seems to be paying attention_, she thought, _I can't tell if she's really listening though. None of this should really be new to her._

She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing. _Maybe I should have started here instead of going so in-depth. I guess Isa's right, I really am just scared._

"That's how our society works, three types of people, three classifications we're given early into our lives. Most of us don't even know if the parents we might have grown up with are the ones that carried us or the ones that we were given to after being classified away from an alpha/omega pair, and we're not supposed to ask, either. So, tell me: of these three, which would my personality, not my scent, apply to the most?"

Fox paused a moment, evidently not expecting to be asked a question where she actually needed to answer._ At least I know she's listening now._ After a moment's thought, she finally spoke up, "I guess you'd probably seem more like a Beta if it weren't for your scent."

"Because I'm smart, right? Because my ability lets me be smarter than the average Omega?" She sighed softly, "I was classified as a Beta. I don't know if I was born to my parents or adopted. All I know is that they took care of me while I learned far too quickly for them to ever keep pace."

"What do you mean?"

_Asking questions back, her confidence is undoubtedly improving._

"Well, by the time I could walk and talk, I could read better than most alphas our age. I realized just how different I was when my older sister's classwork was easier than mine, and I still finished faster." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, the sandwich abandoned for the time being. "I've learned faster than anyone I've ever met. Most would assume that's a good thing. Learning so quickly means I can become anything, right? Not quite. There are two sides to learning: remembering and applying. To be able to learn that fast, you have no space to not remember something, being able to apply it just takes a little bit of effort once you get to the point where you can't forget anything." She looked down at the wrist band. "No matter how much you want to forget. It also makes it easier to notice when things aren't how they should be. To notice flaws and things that have changed. I had learned around 200 years of history by the time I was fourteen, had to do something when I locked myself away."

"Locked yourself away?"

"With no suppressors, I didn't have much other choice. Every legal document said I was a Beta so until I was 18 and could prove that I was an Omega legally - my parents didn't want me to swap until I was considered an adult, so I didn't get shunted back into Omega schooling - I had to do what I had to do. Once I learned the past, I ended up reading about the present." She shifted some, trying to find a comfortable position to finish her story.

"This is where my story as… not me… begins. I knew how Atlas worked, I knew the details a bit too well, but when I started reading articles from Vale, Mistral, even Vacuo, I started to realize some of the problems Atlas's hierarchy still holds. Vale's adopted a matriarchy of sorts, a queenly Omega took hold, and everything's been getting better for Alphas and Omegas since. Vacuo is and always has been survival of the fittest; whoever could prove they were stronger took the lead. It just so happens the current leader is a female Omega. Mistral adopted a true democracy, every caste's vote is equal even if the leaders are still most Alphas and Betas."

Her tone darkened some as she continued, "and then there's Atlas. Even after losing the majority of their Omega population and getting hit hardest with sterilized Betas, they still hold the Betas at the forefront. They keep Omegas as some secondary focus. A people they appease but never help." She sighs, shaking her head some, "and don't get me started on how badly the conditions for Alphas have gotten. It's a miracle they have jobs outside of military work at all, and most, unfortunately, end up like you. Forced to rely on an Omega's kindness to get out of an Alpha center, out of homelessness."

_It's terrible, but at least Atlas gives a stipend whenever an Omega offers to take an Alpha into their care. It's not much, but it helps both sides._

"That's why I did what I did. I learned everything I could about coding. Getting past underlying network security was easy, but I couldn't learn what I needed to on my own. I ended up falling in with a group of like-minded people. I only really kept in contact with a few of them, the ones that taught me the most were Pinky and Spinerella, and no, those weren't their real names. Spinerella taught me a lot about coding and eventually about hacking as well. Pinky, well, at first, Pinky and I had a lot of similar opinions on things. She's out in Vale, though, so I don't think she'd ever really change anything here in Atlas.

What worried me about Pinky was her almost… extremist way of looking at change. She had extremely anti-Beta opinions. I never really had that kind of thought, I always wanted actual equality, like some real balance between everyone. No one better and no one lesser. She outright despised Betas like they were the root of all evil. Suffice to say I put her at the top of my whistleblower list."

_She's listening, certainly, but I think I lost her somewhere._

"Did you… get all that?"

"Yeah, I'm just a bit confused, I guess."

"About what?"

"Well, if you knew Pinky was bad, then why did you keep talking to her?" _This again? Questioning my reasoning._

"Well, Pinky had a knack for finding ways into Vale that were less than legal. She was a good contact to have when I was sneaking out two or three Alphas or Omegas a week. I didn't manage to keep in contact with a lot of the people we smuggled out, but at least I know they managed to make it to Vale."

"So you were smuggling out Alphas and Omegas?"

"Yeah. Along with modifying Atlas databases to more or less remove them from the record books. I normally moved the information over to Vale's database so they could just restart their lives."

She watched Fox in silence for a moment. _She seems like she wants to say something; she's undoubtedly thinking hard on something._

Before Ally could ask Fox spoke up, "so you were helping people?"

That caught the Omega off guard, "Well, yeah."

There was a short while of silence before she spoke again, "Is there more?"

That brought a soft smile to Ally's lips as she nodded, "yeah, there's more." Shifting r5some, she cleared her throat and started her story back up. "For a while, it was simple. I'd help who I could, hideaway during my heat, and go from there. Bear in mind, at this point, I was 17 and had more or less stopped communicating with basically everyone in my personal life. I was so singularly focused on helping people that I was neglecting my own social life, that theme continues for… quite some time actually." She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing at her half-eaten meal, "I still struggle with taking care of myself."

"I'll just have to take care of that then," Fox said firmly, tail lashing some with either determination or excitement. Which it was Ally couldn't tell.

"I'll hold you to that." She smiled softly, "anyway, there's a lot that happened that doesn't really matter much, a few things I'd… rather not talk about either." She fiddled with her bracelet absentmindedly for a moment, "I eventually met Isa, got hurt, and got caught."

_Clamming up right there, that's not suspicious at all. _Ally silently berated herself, _I told her the crucial parts. I told her what mattered, if nothing else. I don't need to tell her all the grim and gory details._

Fox sat quietly for a moment before calmly picking up Ally's leftovers and holding them out to her, "you finished your story, so it's time to finish this."

_She's not pressing for more information? Not asking questions or demanding to know more?_ Ally took a moment to respond, mind wheeling a bit before she simply nodded and took the sandwich. _Does she not want to press the topic?_

"I'll go clean up a bit, just say the word if you need anything." It seemed that was the end of it. Fox stood, moving back to the kitchen to clean up whatever mess she'd made.

_I don't get it. She's not trying anything? She's just going to leave it be? _Ally thought, genuinely confused. She would glance at the Alpha from time to time, watching her body language. _She doesn't seem nearly as depressed now. Her posture's better, too. Strange, does she feel like she's got someone to protect? Is that why she's acting differently? _She sighs softly, _Alphas are always hard to read._

She continued to mentally toil on the subject, absentmindedly finishing the sandwich. When she eventually realized she'd finished her meal, she carefully tightened her Immobilizer, wincing softly at the pressure before grabbing her crutch and standing. "Hey Fox, I'm going to go get a bath."

Before she'd even moved two steps, the Alpha called back, "leave the door unlocked in case you need help."

"Alright, alright." Each step hurt, her painkillers having worn off hours before. She didn't care. She didn't like how they made her feel so she'd rather not use them if she had the chance. The pain would subside with a nice warm bath, then she'd be able to hopefully find some way to entertain herself.

The hardest part was always getting dressed or undressed. Running the bath took little effort, and removing the Immobilizer and covering the cast in plastic didn't either, but getting her clothes off without one of her hands and without bending her knee too much was almost impossible, but she did it anyway, and soon she relished in the calming warm water of her bath.

She leaned back against the wall of the tub, eyes closed as she let her mind wander. For some reason, her thoughts kept trailing back to Fox. _She's surprisingly generous. She's working hard for what? For me? It's likely just instinct. Having an Omega around, she probably just wants to feel like she's doing her share. I can't tell if it's genuine worry or just covering her own tail. She almost reminds me of Isa. They're both selfless, caring, sincere, doing they're best to make me feel better._

She heard a knock from somewhere, but it wasn't close enough to be to the bathroom, so she assumed there was a visitor at the door. _She should answer the door anyway. She's the Alpha, and she's in much better shape. It's probably just Winter or one of her goons dropping something off anyway._

The door opened, a bit of chatter, the door closed, footsteps. _Thought so._ She sat up, slowly washed herself off before draining the tub and carefully drying herself off. Getting out was far more difficult than getting in had been. The pain had eased some at the least, though getting dressed aggravated it again.

With her Immobilizer in place for the time being and her hair tied back, she carefully hobbled her way out of the bathroom. She'd taken maybe a step out of the door before Fox's voice caught her attention. "Ally? You have a visitor."

_A visitor? Probably some Atlas goon. _She sighs, moving down the hall to the living room. "Look, whatever it is can it wait till mor-"

Blue eyes caught her attention, auburn brows knitting together. "You didn't take your pain killers, did you?"

"Isa? What're you-"

The other Omega didn't let her finish, turning to Fox. "Could you go grab her bag? She won't take them unless you make her, and she'll never be able to sleep without them, even if we sedate her." The Alpha nodded, standing and going to grab the bag Winter had left behind.

Before Ally could say anything, Isa was by her side, offering extra support as they moved back to the couch. "Honestly, Ally, are you trying to torture yourself?"

"No, I just-"

"Ally, not liking how it makes you feel is one thing, actively walking on the leg you KNOW is hurt is another. I know for a fact that Fox offered to help."

"Fox barely knows me."

"So? She's willing to help you, let her." Isa reprimanded as she helped her sit across the couch. "Honestly, Ally, you're going to make things worse if you keep up like this."

"I already did! The one thing I tried my hardest not to do happened anyway."

There was a pause. A silence that actively wore away at the edges of Aleta's mind. _I shouldn't have said that. She did this out of selflessness. She's going to be mad that I blame myself. She's going to-_

Soft arms wrapped around her shoulders. "I wasn't going to leave you behind. Even if you wanted better for me, I wasn't going to abandon you." Her voice was barely a whisper. Even then, Ally heard the words louder than anything else in the room. A pale arm snaked around her back, a shuddering sigh and a slow deep breath. The soft scents of vanilla and some type of wildflower, maybe a oxeye or a milkmaid, filling her lungs, alongside the slight traces of another alpha's scent.

"You should have been selfish for once…" she mumbled, "but I guess you kind of were… right?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to be alone." She said simply, slowly untangling from the hurt omega. "Honestly, though, what am I gonna do with you? Did you even tell Fox you have to have sleeping meds?"

"It hadn't come up yet." She grumbled, looking up at her friend, "besides, it's not like I really like sleeping right now anyway."

"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean your body and mind don't need it." This got a groan from Ally.

Fox came back and set a few pill bottles on the coffee table so Isa could pull out what she needed. Fox brought her a cup of water so she could take the pain killers. She was begrudging but conceded.

_Great, _she thought, _now I have two of them being overbearing. I mean, I guess they just want what's best for me, at least._

Ally sighed softly, "So, mind telling me how you're here?"

"I live upstairs. So long as we don't leave the building, we can come to see each other basically whenever." Isa smiled as she spoke, sitting on the coffee table so she could talk with Ally more easily.

"That's good to hear, but aren't you supposed to have your Alpha with you if you leave your apartment? That's what Winter told us."

"You're also the one with a much longer rap sheet." She teased softly, letting out a quiet but melodic laugh.

Fox moved to sit on the floor by the couch, seemingly content to just watch the pair interact.

"Well, yeah, I guess you have a point with that one." She laughed, "But you do have one, right?"

"Obviously, kinda part of the sentence," she joked."He's a big softy. I'll let you guys meet him some time, but he's worried about overstepping boundaries."

"Hey, at least he's considerate."

"Yeah, he's a really sweet guy. I'm sure we'll all get along really well, too." She nodded before moving to stand. "Now I should let you guys finish settling in. Why don't we all try and make breakfast together?"

"That sounds like a great idea, no promises I'll eat it though."

"Yeah, yeah, but you'll be there, and we'll all be able to talk."

"So long as there is here, stairs suck." The pair shared a laugh, the Alpha's tail swaying some. _She seems excited. I suppose the idea of having three people to spend her time with is definitely better than how things used to be for her._

"Alright, we'll try and be down by around 8 or 9, how's that sound?"

"That works for me. Have a nice night, Isa." Fox showed the Omega out before moving back to Aleta's side.

"Do you need help getting to bed?" The Alpha asked, kneeling down some to be almost eye to eye with Ally.

_I don't need the help, I can certainly get there by myself, but I should do as Isa said. She's stuck here because of me. I don't need her worrying herself to death in the meantime._

"I wouldn't mind a little help." She nods, moving to stand before Fox simply opted to pick her up again. "I- this isn't what I meant."

"You need to rest. Omegas don't heal as quickly as Alphas do, and you're just gonna make it worse if you keep pushing yourself."

"I know that but-"

"No buts." She said firmly. _She must have talked with Isa. She wasn't this adamant about taking care of me before._

"Fine, whatever." _They both really are overbearing, but she's just following her instincts. Isa's just too selfless for her own good. Both of them are so focused on others._

"I get what she meant now," Fox said, carefully setting the Omega on her bed. "You're stubborn, definitely, but you're just not used to letting people help you."

"I'm not." She admitted, moving to start undoing her Immobilizer once again. "I've been fairly self-reliant for quite some time, so having to rely on people because of my injuries is jarring at best."

"Are you really that used to fending for yourself?"

"For three years or so, it was just a few people online and me trying to help people, so yeah, I'm pretty used to not relying on people."

Fox's tail swayed some as they helped the Omega get ready for bed. She placed the Immobilizer on the nightstand and gently helped her lay down. "There, would you like me to get you one of your sleeping pills?"

"I'd honestly rather not." _It's better to wake up then be stuck asleep, especially when I have nothing important to do anymore._

"Alright, if you need me for anything, I'm right across the hall."

"I'll try not to bother you too much. Enjoy a good night's rest yourself." With that, Fox left her to her own devices, closing the door on her way out.

Ally let out a sigh, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander. She thought about all that had happened, recounting her injuries from top to bottom. _Everything from a black eye to a compound fracture, I really got myself into some shit this time, didn't I? I'll be able to walk more easily in a few months, the cast'll be off in half a year. Then what? Things get a lot less… concrete after that._

She wasn't sure when she dozed off, but eventually, she fell into a shallow, uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

Familiar scents filled her lungs as Ally made her way down the hall. Dusty carpeting, recent woodwork, even the slightest hints of mold reminded her of the apartment she'd called home for so long. That familiar wooden door caught her gaze, blue paint peeling at the edges and the brass placard reading 101 showing she was home.

She rolled her neck, shifting the bags of groceries from one hand to the other. _I'm never letting him order groceries again, he always messes it up_. She sighed softly before pulling the keys from her pocket. With the door unlocked, she moved into the apartment and set the groceries on the kitchen counter. _I need to get in touch with Sabell-er… Isa, she'll be able to bum me a few suppressors. Then I won't have to worry about that... even if it's still weird talking to her._

She could hear a door opening down the hall as she stacked a few cans, pulling groceries from the bags. _I don't even remember buying half of this._ She thought, looking at one of the cans. Setting it atop her little stack, she turned back to the bags only to hear a clattering only a moment later.

"Clumsy, as always, I see." There was a chuckle with his words. "You really should be more careful."

"It's not my fault. I had them stacked up fine," she huffed, crossing her arms and looking at him. "If it's anyone's fault, it's yours for not ordering everything we needed."

He snaked his arms around her. "I'm sorry, I tried. You know I can't remember everything like you can."

She sighed, trying to swallow the dread that welled up inside of her. _What's wrong with me? _She mused, hugging him back. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You just get to know when someone's about to get hurt."

They split apart as she turned to pick up the few cans that littered the floor. "Honestly, I've had the worst luck around the house lately."

"You probably just notice it more because you're not holed up in front of your computer as much." He replied, resentment edging his tone. _Ass._ She thought.

"Yeah, well, if you'd actually do something around here, maybe I could work more." She huffed, snatching the last of the fallen cans off the floor only for another to roll from the counter and catch her in the back of the head.

She shot to a standing position as she clutched the back of her head. "Son of a bitch!"

"I told you to be more careful." He laughed, his usual smirk twisting to an almost wicked grin.

Snarling softly, the Omega dropped the cans she'd been carrying. "Y'know what? Whatever. Put the groceries away your damn self." She pushed past him, down the winding, curling hall of her apartment. _He knew it would happen and let it hit me in the head anyway. What a prick._

"Baby, c'mon." She blinked, looking up to see him and the kitchen behind him. _How did I get here? I was walking in an entirely different direction._

"I'm sorry, I realized it was gonna happen and didn't stop it, I was a jerk." He had his arms out wide, almost asking for an embrace, but that wicked smile was still plastered across his features.

Her shoulders dropped some, "I can never stay mad at you…"

Taking a few steps forward, she expected to find his embrace but stumbled slightly as she walked through where he'd been standing.

She blinked, looking around confused for a moment before the familiar, almost condescending, voice rang out. "What're you looking for?"

Her head whipped around to look at him, a wicked smile, piercing eyes, and that condescending glare, she hated that glare. She then took stock of the room around her. She was in their living room, an absolute pigsty thanks to him, but she didn't remember getting there. "You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost. You're not having another paranoia episode, are you?"

"No. No, I just..." _what's going on? Am I just dozing off on my feet or something? _"I can't remember the last time I slept, I'm probably just losing it a little." _I could have sworn… no, no, that's crazy. I just need to get some sleep._

"Well, maybe if you didn't stay up all night working, you'd be able to do you work around the house right."

She cringed as guilt, fear, anger, and depression crept up her spine, holding tight like it had for oh so long. "Yeah, sorry. I just have a lot in the works right now." _It's every day with that. Could you just help me a little? I do so much for you why won't you-_

She blinked, looking around. She stood on the stairs leading up to the roof, her fingers tightly coiled around the railing. Shaking her head, she pressed on climbing the stairs. _Right, a bit of fresh air will help me calm down, I don't need to be so mad at him. I'm just letting the stress get to me._

She didn't notice as the carpeting on the stairs began to become matted, rotted, and wither away, nor did she notice the paint peeling and chipping or the wood splintering and rotting. She simply pressed on up the stairs, opening the door at the top and walking into the kitchen in her old apartment.

The lights were dimmed, tiles cracked, everything was ramshackle and old, but she didn't pay it any mind, merely moving to start cooking. She heard his voice call out, asking what she was making. Her own response, however, she didn't hear. She didn't know what she was making or how, but she did know that it wasn't to his liking, he made sure she knew that.

"I know, I'm sorry-" she heard herself say, "but it's what we have, and that's what matters!"

She could hear the anger in his voice as he shot back some veiled response, moving to just outside of her view. She knew he was there, could feel him glaring at her. She turned to look at him, to ask him something or request something, but before the words left her mouth, she heard the creaking of wood. She turned back to the stove just quickly enough to watch as one of the cupboards snapped free of its hinges. She brought her arm up to protect her face as the wooden door collided with her before falling back and catching the pan, flinging its contents to the floor.

For a moment, all she heard was a single phrase: "I told you to be more careful, you really are a clutz." The words echoed, bouncing around her in time with the throbbing pain in her arm, filling her mind. When she looked up at him, wanting to snap out a biting response, some witty retort that would make her feel better, fear shot through her like a bolt of lightning. Every inch of her refused to move when she looked at him.

His face was now shrouded in shadow. The only things she could clearly see were the wicked smile and the devilishly cruel glint in his eye.

She blinked, and he was gone.

In his place, a shadowy tendril snaked up above her head. Before she could follow the line of darkness, the ground beneath her began to shake, cracking at the edge. She turned, sprinting from the kitchen down the hall. She snaked down the winding corridor, dodging the black tendrils as she ducked through another doorway. As she went to close it, her arm refused to move all the way, garnering her attention as the stiff, restrictive cast wrapped around the limb.

Fear rose with her shoulders as she turned, running deeper in the never-ending room she'd found herself in. She ran for what felt like years before she felt something catch her ankle, twisting it cruelly as she felt her knee shift and dislocate, the pain searing through her.

She fell, trying to scream, trying to crawl, trying to do anything she could as the black tendrils wrapped around her arms, her legs, her waist, even her neck. More of them sprouting from the stones and walls around her, forcing her attention above, through the open space she'd assumed a ceiling should have been. Beyond, she saw those eyes, that wicked smile, all of the tendrils reaching up into his grasp before the fist closed. In the blink of an eye, the walls, floor, everything collapsed in on her.

* * *

She snapped awake, vaguely aware of the sound of someone screaming. A door opened, then another, the second slamming against the wall as it was flung wide. She could feel warmth, softness, a tender grasp, but a firm one at the same time. She knew she'd been moved, she realized the screaming had stopped, and from the stinging in her throat, it must have been her.

As the Omega slowly regained her senses, the fear fading enough for her to pick up the details around her, she immediately noticed Fox's scent. It surrounded her, filled her lungs, and strangely, to her, at least, it made her feel calmer, safer. She noted the alphas arms around her shoulders, her tail coiling around her waist. Her fur was still damp, but the scent of wet dog hadn't set in yet. _She must have gotten a shower, her scent's clearer now._

She heard the Alpha quietly whispering to her, it had taken her this long to realize she was making any noise at all. "Shh, Shh, you're ok. It was just a dream." _I hope I didn't wake her. I didn't want to bother her. She doesn't deserve having to put up with that._

She slowly loosened her grip on the Alpha's shirt, her hand cramping slightly from how tightly she'd dug her nails into the fabric.

Letting out a few shaky breaths, Ally let her eyes close. "Sorry about that…" she mumbled.

"Don't be." The Alpha responded, "you can't help it. Whatever happened musta scared you somethin' awful."

"Yeah. I guess it did." She mumbled back, noticing just how hoarse her voice sounded. _How long was I screaming? How long was I even asleep? Did Fox get any rest at all? _She didn't have much time to ponder before there was a knocking at the door. "Oh gods, did I wake up the whole building…"

Fox chuckled softly, "I'll go let her in, I'm sure she's worried about her friend." She carefully moved the Omega off her lap, _how long was I on her lap? _She stood up, slipping from the room to answer the door.

Ally looked down at her hands, _Gods I'm shaking like a leaf. At least I'm awake though, I know this is real. Feeling like he had control again, though…_

She let out a sigh, looking up just in time to see Isa snapping to her side, worry and fear painting her expression and her scent. _I probably don't look much better, though._

Gentle fingers found their way into Ally's hair, gently shifting it out of her face. "Hey there, you really gave all of us a scare. You ok?" _Always. You're always so much more worried about me._

"Yeah. It was just a dream. I doubt I'll be getting back to sleep any time soon, though."

Isa laughed softly, "I don't think any of us will, but that's ok. We can just skip to making breakfast and hanging out." _You say that like it's a good thing. Like me waking everyone up isn't a problem._

Before she could argue with her, however, Fox gently knocked on the door frame, a glass of water in her hand. "Here, you should probably drink something. It'll help your throat some, at least." Ally just nodded, taking the glass and sipping at it slowly. Her hands still shook as she sat there, every inch of her alight with nervous energy.

They sat in awkward silence as she slowly calmed back down. Fox refilled her glass a few times while Isa helped her get her mind off the dreams.

After a while, there was a quiet knock on their front door. "Oh! That's probably Kiel. I rushed out in such a hurry I probably scared him out of his mind."

"Kiel?" Fox asked, looking at the Omega. "The big fluffy one? Scruffy with classic rock hair?"

"He calls it his mane, but yeah."

Fox looked to Ally, disbelief filling her gaze. "Yes, you can go, let him it." The Omega chuckled softly, "just bring him here so I can meet your friend."

She nodded before slipping from the room. "They know each other?"

"Apparently, yeah. Kiel was supposedly Fox's one friend in the center."

"Well, what're the chances of that?"

"Please, our lives are a series of impossible events." The pair shared a quick laugh before Fox came back in, sitting beside Ally on the bed as - who she had to assume was - Kiel moved in to stand a step or two behind Isa.

Ally couldn't help but laugh when she saw the two stood side by side. Kiel stood somewhere between six and a half and seven-foot-tall. He was a mountain of a man, covered in muscle from head to toe. Sandy blonde hair tumbled, curling ever so slightly, down just past his shoulders and a tail of a similar color with a darker tuft at the end, curled anxiously behind him. With a scruffy beard and curious golden eyes, he truly stood as a careful guardian even if the mere look of the Alpha could keep most would-be attackers at bay.

"What's so funny?" Isa huffed.

"Just had to pick the biggest one they had, didn't you?" Ally teased, a genuine smile coming to her lips.

Crossing her arms, she stood her ground, even if a dusting of pink came to her cheeks, "he's sweet and gentle, his size had nothing to do with it."

"Sure." Ally teased, wiping at her eyes, "ah man, I laughed so hard I thought I started crying."

"Gods, Ally, it's not that funny."

"I mean… it is kind of funny." Kiel chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hah! I win!" Ally laughed, pointing at the Alpha to punctuate her statement. "Even he agrees the two of you look ridiculous together!"

There was a moment of silence before everyone was laughing, the tension and fear from moments before fading for the time being. By the time the laughter had died down, Isa was helping Ally with her Immobilizer, the Alphas moving to get started on their early breakfast.

While they were alone, Isa quietly asked, "so… be honest. What do you think of him?"

"Full disclosure? I think he's a great pick for you. He seems like a great guy, gentle enough not to hurt anyone, especially you, and sensible enough to keep his head on straight. His scent's not the worst, either."

"I like it," She shrugged, "It's like maple trees and sawdust."

"You like the weirdest things." She teased, accepting help to her feet. "But if you didn't, we'd never be friends."

"You're not that weird."

"Yeah, right."

With a soft chuckle, they slowly made their down the hall.

_He really is an excellent choice for her. A gentle giant for a fragile gal like her? Honestly, a match made by the Gods. The chances she'd pick out Fox's friend are ridiculous, too, but I shouldn't have expected any different. We have similar enough tastes, after all._ She thought, trying to focus on the topic of Alphas and friends. Her mind had other ideas, however, as imagery from her nightmare came creeping back to her. The dark tendrils. That wicked grin. Even awake, even knowing she was guarded by military and two dangerous-lookings Alphas, that grin still scared her. The thought that he could find her like an icy vice around her heart.

She looked back to Isa, noticing her bare hands and trying hard to hide the frown that tugged at her lips. _I should have seen that earlier. What was the point of me trying to act strong if she was just going to cheat like that? I know she's worried, but privacy matters, Isa._ Her grip on her crutch tightened slightly as she turned to focus on where she was going.

The pair managed to get settled at the dining table, a small square of painted wood with four chairs surrounding it. Ally gently rapped her fingers across the surface, caught between two trains of thought as they sat in silence.

She could tell from what she heard from the kitchen that Kiel had been given a rough guide to using the stove, and he was now passing that knowledge on to Fox, who seemed more than happy to learn. _Good._ She thought. _She needs to learn, and I'm honestly a Gods awful teacher, especially when I'm short on working hands._

With that train of thought fizzling out, the other forced its way to the forefront of her mind. Those eyes, that grin, the fear that gripped her heart. _I hate it._ She silently grumbled. _I hate everything that man did. I hate his lies. I hate his influence. I hate-_

A soft hand gently wrapped around her wrist, "I don't need my ability to know something's troubling you…" She mumbled, giving a gentle squeeze.

"I… can't stop thinking about my dream. This is the first time I remember the nightmare; every night at the hospital, I knew I had them, but… I couldn't remember them because of the sedatives. It's bugging me how much of it felt normal, how much of it felt real."

"Can you tell me about it?"

Before she could open her mouth again, a plate of eggs and toast was set in front of her. "Sorry they're scrambled, I haven't learned how to make them any other way yet." Kiel chuckled softly.

"Don't worry about it. Bring me the ketchup, and this is a fine breakfast." Ally said with a smile before looking back at Isa, "and honestly? I'd rather just focus on the here and now. Ok? The less I dwell, the less power he has over me."

"If that's what you think is best but-"

"If I ever need to talk to anyone, you'll be the first person I call." Ally gave her a smile before looking back at her plate. "On a different note. How did you manage to teach him how to do all of this in just a couple hours?"

"He may not have your abilities, but he's a pretty smart cookie," Isa said, pride shining through her words. _You always looked better when you smiled. I'm glad to see he brings you some weird pieces of happiness._

"Fox picked it up just as quick." Kiel added, "she's finishing up, she just thought we should get the Omegas their food first."

"Not like we'll eat before you guys anyway. Finish up and come sit down, breakfast is a meal shared together." Isa nodded, giving the Alpha a smile.

Ally smiled some as well, leaning back in her chair a bit. _Honestly, I could get used to this. A "normal" family life? I definitely wouldn't mind that._

She looked around the table as everyone got settled in and started to eat. _Yeah, I wouldn't mind this being the rest of my life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to the end of chapter 2. To some of you, I hope you're thinking: "Jeez it's over already?" To the rest, I promise it'll start getting more interesting next chapter. Things start picking up soon I promise, so please just hang in there! I'm a bit behind writing the next chapter so I hope I can get it out on time! See you guys soon!


	3. A Gamble

"Don't be disheartened."

That simple phrase infuriated Aleta. Even though she'd been free of the Immobilizer for a few months now, she still walked with a limp. The month prior, the cast had been removed only to reveal the severe drop in her range of motion. A month ago she'd barely been able to hold a glass of water, now at least she could do that much.

Her physical therapist said she was making perfectly fine progress, but it all seemed ludicrously slow to the impatient Omega. She was used to things coming easy; every studious task she'd put herself towards had come far too quickly. All of this seemed utterly counterintuitive to her. Things taking a few weeks or a month to progress was healthy before, but now it seemed like weeks would pass with little to no improvement, and it genuinely aggravated her.

She let her eyes slide around the dimly lit room. The bookshelves were now filled, mostly with little trinkets the group had collected on simple, albeit monitored, outings. Picture frames were hanging from the walls with pictures of the lot of them. It was mostly Isa's idea; she'd wanted everyone to treat these apartments like they were their real homes.

Unsurprisingly, it helped raise everyone's spirits, even getting Ally herself to relax more as time went on. There was a basic television, a few magazines littered the coffee table alongside a few discarded novels Ally had read a few times already.

She sighed and looked to the couch where Fox lay splayed out and dozing._ She's undoubtedly relaxed in some ways as I've gotten better. The moment I go to walk away, though, she'll be up and trying to get me to relax. _She chuckled softly, _her instincts are certainly kicking in strong. She's been more and more incessant about making me take things slow. It certainly doesn't help that Isa's heat just passed._

Stretching some, she stood. _I should check my email. We can't talk about anything super exciting, but at least it's something to do._

She'd managed five or six steps before Fox's head raised, looking over to her. "You okay? Need anything?"

She chuckled softly, "no, I'm fine. Just heading to my room to see if anyone sent me any messages."

She nodded, laying back, "holler if you need me."

"Will do."

She made her way past the couch and down the hall to her room. A simple computer, possibly the slowest device the Omega had ever touched, sat on the simple desk she'd gotten Fox to move to the foot of her bed. Winter had dropped it off first hand almost a month after they'd moved in and had made it well known that everything she did on the device would be monitored. _Not like I couldn't hide what I wanted to do anyway._ She thought, moving to take her seat.

She curled up into the chair as she waited for the device to boot up, her good knee hugged to her chest as the other let her foot dangle a few inches from the floor. _Waiting. Is that all my life is now? Waiting to heal. Waiting for Isa to come hangout. Waiting for my computer to load. A lot of waiting._

The screen eventually flickered to life and pulled the Omega from her thoughts as she threw in the simple login information to bring up her email.

There were two new messages, the first from an email she didn't recognize, and the second was, oddly enough, from the younger Schnee sister. _Why does she want to speak with me? She's probably coming to give me hell about the claims I told her sister. Last I heard she just got back from a mission, so she probably only found out a day or so ago._

She sat forward as she opened the email, glancing through it quickly before raising an eyebrow. "She's coming here? Why?"

She reread the message a few times before she leaned back in her chair. Her hair spilled past the back as she stared at the ceiling and groaned. _What's with the Schnees and their political BS? It's an email to a criminal do you have to be so damn cryptic? "Speak about matters about which you and my sister conversed." The hell is that supposed to mean? Is it about my crimes? My assumptions? Is she asking for my sister's recipe for baked ziti? I get being indirect, but you could at least give me some context clues!_

She heard a soft knock before Fox asked softly, "everything ok?"

"Yeah." She nodded, letting her eyes drift closed as the Alpha's scent curled around her, always somehow managing to relax her. "Just annoyed."

"That's nothing new." Fox teased, leaning against the doorframe. "What got under your skin this time?"

She opened her eyes, sitting back upright with a small flick to her hair. "Come read it. It's like the most passive-aggressive way of saying she's coming to visit."

She heard the Alpha's steps as she walked over, felt her chair shift as she leaned over to read the email. After a moment, she let out a soft, "huh."

"Huh?" She echoed, cocking her head to the side.

"I dunno, it's just weird, I guess. She's pretty good at writing a lot but not saying much…"

"Yeah, it's annoying as hell, in my opinion. I get wanting to be discreet, but she could have just said she didn't wanna say anything except in person, instead of writing three pages of nothing!"

Fox chuckled softly, gently patting her shoulder, "well you can be angry later, it's almost noon. C'mon, let's get lunch started."

Ally let out a sigh but simply nodded in response as she turned the computer off and got up. "From napping to snacking, huh? Classic Fox."

"Hah, you've barely known me half a year, how can you say something's classic me?" She shot back as she led the Omega out of her room and down the hall to the kitchen.

"Napping and eating is all you ever do." She teased, giving a loose shrug. "Doesn't mean that's a bad thing; honestly, I envy your appetite sometimes. Then I wouldn't have to drink those nasty shakes my physical therapist prescribed."

"Well, true," she laughed. Ally couldn't help but join in some, just a chuckle or two. _Gods her laugh is contagious. _She hopped up on the counter, swinging her legs some as the Alpha set to work. _She's come a long way since we moved in here. I barely help at all anymore. "Barely help at all." I feel like that's a theme for me lately._

She'd barely started to think negatively before Fox's voice caught her attention. "So, what'll it be today? I know you're not really hungry, so you won't mind if it takes a little while. How about some pasta?"

"Sure, I was actually just thinking a baked ziti would be pretty good."

"Oh wow, Ally's thinking about food? Who are you, and what did you do with my friend?"

Ally rolled her eyes, "puh-lease! It was a passing thought at best." She smirked, flicking her hair to reinforce the dismissiveness of her claim.

"Sure, it was. If it were just a passing thought, you wouldn't have brought it up at all." The pair shot each other looks before laughing.

"Fine, maybe I did give it a little more thought. I actually know a great ziti recipe if you wanna try."

"The fact that you know recipes for anything other than ramen amazes me."

"Oh, shut up!" She huffed, gently punching the Alpha's shoulder. "Just do what I say so we can have our ziti!"

Fox laughed but did as she was told, as she was putting the finishing touches, there was a knock at the door. Ally hopped off the counter. "You finish up, I'll see who it is."

"Be careful."

"We have cameras and guards, I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, when was the last time we had someone come up to the front door that wasn't Isa, Kiel, or Winter?"

"Still, I don't want Isa chewing me out if you get hurt again."

"I'll be fine." She laughed.

She paused at the door frame, glancing back to Fox a moment. _I should thank her. Tell her I appreciate how much she cares._ The Alpha worked tirelessly on their meal, not noticing Ally had hesitated. She opened her mouth but stopped herself, shaking her head and making her way to the door.

She stopped again as she got close, hand outstretched for the knob. _It's not him, Ally. It's not him. The guards know not to let him close. You're fine._

She dug her nails into her palm and forced herself to finish the motion, pulling the door open and saying, "Afternoon."

Before her stood a woman, maybe an inch shorter than her, with cold, piercing eyes. The woman had her chin raised, causing her long white ponytail to hang just a touch lower than usually would. She held a similar posture to the older, more experienced, Specialist. Still, Weiss Schnee was distinctive enough to stand out in a crowd.

Ally leaned against the door frame some as she spoke up, "Afternoon, Ms. Bolten. May I come in?"

"Weiss Schnee, right? Oh, I should use your full title, shouldn't I?" She smirked, her tone mocking as she continued. "Specialist Trainee First Class Weiss Schnee. You've got quite the reputation y' know, pretty impressive."

"I'm sure you'd adore continuing to mock me, but I must insist we take a seat. You are still recovering, are you not?."

"I'm healed enough to stand a while," she shot back. "Besides, considering how little you actually wanted to say in your email, it's not like you have a lot to talk about, just a lot to say."

"I actually do have quite a bit to speak about, none of it I felt comfortable sending through heavily monitored digital messaging."

_Paranoid? Interesting. Is this something she keeps discreet, or is it actually important? It's probably just about her suppressors, I haven't caught a whiff of her scent yet. Just a lot of Isa's, jeez her scent's strong right now._

"Fine. Come on in then, just know Fox is ridiculously protective of her friends."

"I can assure you: I won't do anything she could consider aggressive." Ally stepped back as she finished talking, allowing her to walk inside.

She closed the door behind them and followed the woman down the hall. The silence was tense, but nothing Ally wasn't used to by now. She'd dealt with plenty of tight-lipped and stoic types in her time, and Weiss Schnee was no different. _Stiff and concise, like a tiny version of her sister._

Ally plopped herself on the couch with a soft thump, leaning back and stretching out some to show how relaxed she was. _You're not scary, no matter how hard you try to seem it._

Conversely, Weiss lowered herself onto the armchair, her shoulders staying stiff and her posture just as straight. _I can't tell if she's just naturally got a stick up her ass or if she's uncomfortable for some reason. These stiff Specialists make reading them as annoying as possible, it's almost like they get a kick out of it._

"So? What's so important that you had to poke your basically scentless head into my door?"

Weiss huffed softly, distaste clear on her face as she began to speak. "As I'm sure the 'Smartest Woman on Remnant' already knows, I've just returned from the northern reaches of Vale. The expedition took longer than planned, but the quarry was subdued and-"

"With only a single casualty, don't neglect that part. If I remember correctly, it was one of the Alphas, an up and coming huntsman sent by the Queen of Vale herself." She smirked softly at the hints of disgruntled emotions on the woman's face.

"Yes. It was unfortunate, the beast was stronger than we had anticipated. Losing any hunter is a grave loss in recent years, but that's not what I was hoping to focus on."

"Well? Out with it already."

There was a subtle twitch to the woman's features before she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose a moment and continuing. "I was allowed to read through your reports, and though most of them were about different corporations, a few were about individuals. I assume they were people you knew and/or worked with."

"You would assume right."

"That does raise a bit of concern then. After we'd returned from our mission, we were allowed to rest in the barracks at the castle. My commander and I were requested to speak with the queen, and I'm fairly certain I saw a man matching the description of one of your old compatriots walking alongside the queen's new lead scientist."

The chill that snaked its way up Ally's spine was nothing new to her. That chill that crawled and clawed and burrowed its way through. Coiling around her lungs and forcing her breath from her bosom. She felt her shoulders stiffen suddenly, her posture going from relaxed and calm to that more akin to a frightened child. She'd only described a single man, or at least she'd only known one of the individuals was a man. Most of them she couldn't give a definitive gender nor classification, just the one. _At least I know where he is. That should be comforting. Why isn't it comforting?_

"I'm not certain if it was him, but the description you gave assuredly brought him to my mind. You have an impeccable eye for detail." The snowy woman continued, seemingly blind to the mounting fear in the Omega across from her. "I can't quite remember what his name was, though he stood out, I believe it was-"

"I think it's time you left." Ally's gaze snapped to a rather angry looking Fox standing in the doorway to the living room. She glared at Weiss, who quickly stood, eyes glancing between the pair. Confusion and fear clear on the woman's face.

"I'm not sure what I-"

Fox crossed her arms, stepping to the side in a motion that didn't give much room to argue.

Weiss simply obliged, making sure she had her effects before walking past the Alpha, who growled softly and stirred her on to move a touch faster.

Once the woman was out of the apartment, Fox moved to kneel in front of Ally on the couch. Her scent swirled around the Omega and helped to calm her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Uh… yeah... sorry I worried you."

"Don't be, can you tell me what happened? I could smell your fear over lunch…"

"She brought up something she saw in Vale… some… one she saw in Vale."

"It was him, right? That guy that did all that stuff to you?" She got a small nod in response. A steady hand gently wrapped around the Omega's shoulder, "If he's in Vale, he can't hurt you. Obviously, they're on the lookout for him here so he can't come back. You're safe here."

"I smuggled people out of Atlas for years, he could easily get smuggled in."

She tried to refute it but sighed. "Maybe, but if he were gonna finish what he started, he'd have come back by now, it's been half a year."

Ally ran her fingers through her hair, "Longer… but that doesn't mean he won't, and why is he in Vale anyway? She said she saw him with their lead scientist. Why would he be with a scientist? Is he manipulating them? I mean, it's gotta be some sorry sap of a Beta to keep him around. Even then, no one deserves to be stuck with that guy…"

She paused for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck. "Wait, what's he making them do? Is he using them for the money? The resources? Having him so close to royalty can't be good either. With a power like his, he could… Oh, gods…"

"Ally, hey, calm down, you're not making any sense."

The Omega wasn't listening, she pushed herself to her feet, scurrying to her bedroom to grab the scroll she'd been given. Opening it and typing in the overly complex passcode, she pulled up Winter's contact.

She held the device to her ear, tapping her foot with impatient, anxious energy. The moment she heard the woman's voice, she snapped out a brief message. "Send your sister back. I have something I need to talk to her about." Before Winter could respond, she hung up, knowing that kind of message usually stirred the woman to action, be it through worry or confusion she wasn't entirely sure.

As soon as that was done, she tossed the scroll onto her bed and grabbed her backpack from the closet. She ran her finger over the familiar canvas of the bag. Taking a moment to let the traces of nostalgia lighten her mood ever so slightly before she snatched the bag up and started packing. Nothing electronic, nothing trackable, just clothing and simple tools.

By now, Fox stood in the doorway, watching her movements with a confused look on her face. "Ally? What are you doing?"

"I'm packing." She said simply.

"What for? We can't leave."

"No. We can't. That doesn't mean I can stay either."

"Ally, can you please tell me what's going on in that head of yours? Not all of us can keep pace."

She sighed, setting the bag down. "I've been called the 'Smartest Woman on Remnant' more times than I can count." She turned to look at Fox with fear and anger mixing in her heart. "I wasn't smart enough to realize he was manipulating me. He used me over and over. I barely had any resources or sway for him to abuse, and I damn sure wasn't the lead scientist working directly under the Queen of Vale. I'm talking with Weiss, and then I have to go find some way to stop whatever scheme he's working on."

Fox sighed, shaking her head, "I'll pack a bag."

"What?" _She wants to come with? No. She's not coming with. This is my-_

"You can barely breathe just having him referenced. Someone needs to come with you in case you run into him. I'm sure Isa would rather come with, but she's got bigger problems."

_I hate it when she has a good point. I can't face him if I run into him. At least she'd be able to get me out of there._

"Fine. Pack light, and we'll have to figure out how to get the collar off after Weiss is gone." She walked over until she was within a foot of the Alpha before she continued. "Understand if we get caught, we will never see each other again, and I will likely be executed."

"Then, I'll make sure we don't get caught." She said back, smirking with a bit of confidence.

Ally couldn't help but smirk back a bit. "Alright. Guess we've got some work to do." Fox gave her a nod before slipping from the room to pack her own bag.

_Not going alone. Having someone to rely on in the field. Allies… come to think of it… it might be better to get more than just the one. Though, not a lot of my old "friends" are very keen on helping me out anymore..._

They had a few moments to pack before a familiar, at least to Ally, strict knock resonated through their small home. Ally moved to her door, getting Fox's attention. "Go answer, you scared the shit out of her on her way out, so being the first thing she sees coming back would get her in the mindset I need."

The Alpha gave her a nod, moving to answer the door and silently ushering the woman in.

Ally paused a moment, taking a few calming breaths. _She's just a woman. She's a woman that's a viable option for possible resources. She has no power here, and you're a criminal anyway. Let's go._

She let out a sharp sigh, making her way down the hall. She looked over Weiss, cutting her off as she opened her mouth. "So you got me thinking. I'm trying to figure out why you came to me." _Her shoulders are always stiff, I can't use that for reference. However, the shifting of her eyes is definitely something I can pay attention to._

"Well, I-" She started, turning to match Ally's gaze.

"See, I have a few theories." She interjected, smirking softly as the woman blinked and recoiled slightly. She'd hit her stride, and now she just had to keep talking. "The first two are pretty flimsy, I'll admit that. First, when you realized the connection, you told Winter, who in turn gave you a simple, but upsetting, response that he's not in Atlas, so he's not your problem. Maybe, but she's far more hands-on than that." She turned, pacing slowly along the length of the far wall as she spoke. _Full attention, leaned slightly forward, too._

"Of course, it could be the second option, you told her, and she said that you must have been misremembering or just mistaken. That would certainly drive you here to get confirmation. Still, Winter wouldn't just dismiss anything, especially about the first person on my list. So that really only leaves the third option. You didn't tell her at all." _Her breath caught in her throat, good. That means I'm on the right track. _She glanced behind the woman as Fox moved to stand in a position that would stop the trainee specialist from making any sudden moves.

"Now, why would you do that? You know for a fact that you saw one of my most wanted people. So why wouldn't you tell your sister, the well known and influential military Specialist, that you know the location of a dangerous criminal, especially one so close to the Queen of Vale? You have something to prove. Right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Weiss interjected. She crossed her arms, turning her head away in indignation. She still didn't seem to notice the Alpha behind her. _Now you're even refusing to make eye contact? Do you have to make it easy?_

Ally opted to ignore her interruption and pressed on. "So you came to talk to me, hoping you could get a bit more insight than what I put into my report on him. The more information you can gather, the easier it would be to catch him on your own."

Weiss turned, her gaze returning to Ally who'd come to a stop in front of her. _Is that fear in her eyes?_

"You wanted to get such a big case under your belt all on your own, right? So you could prove an Omega could be just as capable as any Beta, right?"

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Weiss snaps, standing sharply only for strong hands to land on her shoulders. Her gaze snapped behind her to Fox, who stood snarling softly.

"Oh, did you not notice Fox slip behind you? Strange, you were so focused on what I was saying you completely missed when she moved."

Fox forced the woman to sit back down. She shared a glance with Ally who smirked back.

"Any Beta with a medical necessity to have a strong enough suppressor to completely hide their own scent would still easily be able to at least track a scent as strong as hers." _It's not strange for a Beta's sense of smell to be too strong, and suppressors are often prescribed to treat them. It's a good ruse, but it only works if you can pay off the doctor to get them to agree to such a prescription._

"So, please. Explain how I'm wrong." She crossed her arms, resting her weight on her good leg and smirking down at the woman.

There was a moment of silence before the once stiff shoulders slumped ever so slightly.

_You'd think she'd try to defend herself. She's a pretty high ranking Omega, getting her cover blown now would ruin a lot of hard work. Does she think it's better to say less? Give me less ammo?_

"That's what I thought, so here's what I was thinking. I could go out you to the entirety of the Atlas Military, which would call for tests, and then you'd be forced to accept your role as an Omega and - you're what now? 22? 23?"

Weiss turned her head again. _Shame? Maybe regret? Does she hold some resentment towards the system she's been avoiding? Either way, she doesn't want to answer my questions which means I'm more than likely right. Which, when it comes to facts like her age, isn't all that surprising._

"Sounds like you'd have to fall into the rhythm the rest of us are held to really quick. You wouldn't be able to prove yourself then, would you? With how much time you'd have to take off you'd likely barely manage to make it past the lowest rank of Specialist." She waved her hand dismissively. "But that goes against all I tried to do for years. So instead, I'll keep this between us, with a request."

"What kind of request?" _Skeptical. At least she's smart enough to not just accept whatever I'm going to offer._

"Well… you have two options. You could give me a nice sum of lien, or we could help each other out."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you have your scroll on you?"

"Well, obviously."

"Fox, take it to the kitchen."

"What? You want my scroll?"

"No, I just assume your scroll is bugged." She blinked, pulling her scroll out and handing it to the Alpha. _Strangely compliant._

Ally moved to sit on the couch as Fox came back. "You understand just how dangerous this individual is, correct?"

"I do."

"And you realize that the Atlesian military can't go after him, correct?"

"Which is why I planned to act alone."

"Which could start a war with Vale, if you're not careful."

"I… was going to be careful." _That slight bit of hesitation. Does she doubt her capabilities? I'll have to remember that self-doubt later._

"Sure, you were." She crossed her legs, narrowing her eyes at the other Omega. "Do you really want to stop this man in hopes of protecting the Queen of Vale, or do you just want to make yourself look good?"

There was a pause and a look of shock on Weiss's face. "I obviously care more about civilians than my own status; I was willing to risk everything."

"Then, you're still willing to risk everything?" She stiffened slightly.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Hypothetically, Fox and I are planning on tracking him down ourselves. Which would, hypothetically, mean we could use a bit of off the books military assistance."

The weight of her statement hung in the air for quite a while as the three sat in silence. Ally rapped her fingers against her bicep. _She's contemplating it. The furrowed brow and tight lips make it clear that she's conflicted about the suggestion._

After a time, Weiss stood. With a glance from Ally, Fox didn't force her back into her seat. They were rolling the dice, and if that roll went poorly their entire plan could come crashing down before it's even set into motion.

The Specialist Trainee slowly paced the room before moving to stand against the far wall. She paused a moment, glancing along the shelves at their photos and trinkets. She picked up a small stuffed toy Fox had won for Ally at a street fair they'd stumbled upon one day. "And what if this hypothetical came to pass? Why would you need my assistance, specifically?"

_She's actually considering it? That's honestly a shock. This gamble could actually wind up in my favor._

"Well. You're good in a fight for one. I'm not sure what we may come across, but Fox and I are both short on combat with the monsters that inhabit this world. In exchange, I know more about our quarry than anyone else you could ask for help. Not to mention: I'd technically still be under Atlas supervision." That got an eyebrow raise and a turn of the head.

"You found a loophole?"

"Not quite. I'll still be breaking my parole by quite a bit. However, if I have a Specialist Trainee with me, should we get caught trying to leave the kingdom, I'd be less likely to lose my head, though I'd certainly lose a few more freedoms."

Weiss nodded, turning back to the shelves. _Is she still contemplating, or is she just stalling? Is she avoiding looking at us so she can think in peace? She's easier to read than her sister, but without a scent it's hard to judge her emotions accurately._

After a moment Weiss stood a bit straighter before she strode back to her seat.

The group sat in silence for a while before Weiss asked, "and… hypothetically, of course… what would we need to get out of Atlas?" She gave a dismissive wave of her hand as if they were still truly talking about some outlandish ideas. _Well, they are a little outlandish, I guess._

"You'd need to, hypothetically, ditch anything they could trace. Your scroll for one and, more or less, your entire uniform. From there, we'd need rations, more winter clothes, and a burner so I can contact someone."

"I could feasibly collect all of these things…"

"Does that mean you're interested in my hypothetical?"

"That depends… when would we get started?"

"If we were to actually go through with this, it would be tonight. Probably not far from here, there's an intersection with a severe lack of cameras about a mile to the south."

"What time?"

"Eleven."

"Then I have a lot of hypothetical shopping to do," Weiss said simply, moving to stand.

"And you're not just going to rat me out for our hypothetical plan?"

"You've made a good point. Going on my own would either fail or incite a war. Besides, if two Omegas and an Alpha manage to achieve the same goal, the effect would be much the same. Hypothetically, I should see you in a few hours."

"And just why should I believe you'll keep your word?" Ally asked, narrowing her gaze slightly.

"Why should I believe that you won't simply out me as soon as I leave. We both have a lot at stake here, do we not?"

"Mutually assured destruction then."

"Agreed."

With that, Fox showed the closeted Omega out, coming back a few minutes later, and said, "I'm not going to doubt you, but are you sure that's a good idea? What if she goes and tells her sister?"

"We both have everything to lose and everything to gain with this. Besides, the moment they come to take me into custody, Weiss is accepting she'll be outed as an Omega and lose everything she's worked for. It's a dangerous game, but it's one we have less to lose in, and she knows that."

"How do we have less to lose?"

"We're a criminal and an ex-homeless Alpha. She's a Trainee Specialist that's on her way to proving her worth. We have a lot less to lose in comparison. I may lose my life, but she'll lose everything she's worked for and be forced to live a life she doesn't want. I think I win in that exchange, don't you?"+"No… but I kind of understand the logic… I guess…"

She nods, "sorry if I sound like a nihilist. Sometimes, I forget not everyone can think like I do. Now c'mon, we gotta finish packing."

"You're right, and, if Weiss really does do most of our shopping for us then, we're pretty well off."

"Exactly, now let's go, we still have to figure out how to get that collar off."

* * *

"Ally, what the hell?!" Isa shouted, stamping her foot like a child having a tantrum. "Were you not going to tell me!?"

"No." She said simply, rubbing the back of her neck.

The four of them stood in Ally and Fox's living room. Fox sat in the armchair behind Ally, two fully packed backpacks at her feet, while Kiel stood behind Isa. He gently squeezed her shoulders, trying to get her to calm down.

"Honestly, Isa, I thought the two of you would stay in your cuddle phase for another day…"

She could see that Isa was beyond angry with her, it was honestly the most straightforward thing she'd picked up on all day. "So you were just going to leave? Disappear again? Leave your family behind!?"

Before Ally could respond, she dug her fingernails into her palm. _She's emotional, unstable, you knew she'd be like this. Don't get angry. That will just make things worse. Logical and calm thinking now, Ally._

"Isa look, I get you're mad-"

"Mad? I'm pissed!"

_Shit. She just cussed at me._

"I know, and I'm sorry, but it's not like I can bring you with me."

"The hell you-"

"I can see the bandages!" Ally snapped, stopping the Omega's claims before they could even be finalized. "He marked you. Which means you're mates. I may be a shut-in, but I'm not stupid. Isa, you have a family to worry about now, whether you fully get that or not."

"Ally I-"

"If you come with me the second any of those instincts start, we end them. We can't afford to have those kinds of delays." She sighed, "and we both can't lose any more family than we absolutely have to. I wanted you out of Atlas. I wanted you free to run your store and live a normal life. I didn't get to give you that. Instead -" she raised her gaze to look Isa in the eye. "Instead, you got Kiel. You got family. I'm not going to let you throw that away."

"I won't let you decide to-"

"To what? Try and help people? You can't stop me, Isa."

"I won't let you throw away your life like this. You won't make it out of Atlas, and even if you do, there's no way you'll make it to Vale without getting caught! You'll get mauled!"

Fox stood. "Actually, we have something for that already." Ally turned to look at her as she moved to stand by her. She smiled down at her for a moment before she continued. "Ally managed to convince Weiss to help us out. We'll have a military specialist protecting us from any monsters we can't fight."

"You… convinced…" Isa's eyes were wide, her jaw slack, disbelief clear in her expression and her scent.

"Yeah, when she's hiding the same secret I did for years, it's pretty easy to get a bit of leverage."

Isa blinked, looking down for a moment before Ally could see tears trail down her cheeks. "Hey, Isa, c'mon, don't cry."

"I'm losing my best friend… again… Ally I need you-"

"No. You don't. You have a mate now, Isa. You have a family, even without me. I thought Atlas would ruin you, but I've never seen you happier than you are with him. So please, do what I can't and retire. Live your life like a normal Omega, and if I don't come back… then you damn well better name your first little Omega after me." She gently cupped the Omega's cheek, forcing her to look into the gentle smile she put on for her. _Mood swings. Mated Omegas have a lot of new hormones to sift through, so this is easy to expect. Just gotta be careful not to overcompensate._

Soft arms quickly clamped around her chest, holding tight. "You better come back…"

"I'll do my best, Isa. In the meantime… go back to being normal for me… okay? You have an apartment, a mate, everything we always talked about wanting one day when we dipped out to Vale. Live that dream for me."

"Okay…"

They embraced for a moment before Kiel cleared his throat. "Wouldn't Weiss disappearing raise a few eyebrows?"

Ally pulled away, gently patting Isa's cheek before she spoke. "With how long her last mission went over its expected duration, she'll be on leave for a while. The only person who should notice is her sister, but she should be busy enough trying to find me that she shouldn't put two and two together."

"You're taking a huge gamble…"

"Well… I took a huge gamble before, and it ended up with us in a pretty nice place so… I'm counting on my luck holding out."

"When has your luck ever held out?"

"Statistically, it's about time it does."

The pair shared a small smile before Isa took a step back, pressing into Kiel and reaching up to gently grab his forearm.

"So when are you leaving?"

"Tonight. We're supposed to be meeting Weiss a mile from here in about an hour…"

"You'll have to leave soon then, huh?"

"Yeah, unfortunately…"

"Well… can we at least share one last family meal?"

"You say that like I'm definitely going to die."

"Why would you come back? If you make it to Vale, why would you come back?"

"Because my family is here, and it's just like you said, we don't leave family behind." She smiled softly, reciting a phrase Isa had told her countless times now. "I told you I'd learn that eventually."

This got a short chuckle from the other Omega, who gently swatted her shoulder. "Just don't get yourself anymore hurt than you already are. You're probably gonna be an aunt by the time you get back."

"I'll try and be back sooner than that."

_I hope I can come back and get things to go right back to the way they were…_

* * *

Ally had never been more thankful to have a living heater as a friend. The late-night Atlas wind whipped snow around the pair, leaving the Omega shivering out of her teeth. She'd always hated the cold, especially when it was wet and clung to her frame. Her hands stayed buried in her pockets as she stuck close to Fox, grumbling softly.

Fox wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "are you sure this is going to work? She's late…"

"I made it pretty clear we'd need a good deal of supplies and we can't forget she'll have to take her time and make sure she isn't followed."

"I guess…"

_She's not wrong to be worried. With how fast my heart's beating, it's probably obvious to her I am, too. Damn, I use to be able to keep my cool. This is miserable. Gods, where is she? If this backfires then-_

"We probably shouldn't stand around long." _That cocky tone, even late she feels like she has to talk down to us._

She turned to look at the Trainee Specialist. She'd shucked her uniform, though the colors still completed her ensemble. A furred hood, long cloak, and long black gloves all Ally could see through the snow. If it weren't for the lack of a noticeable scent downwind she would have assumed it were any other Atlesian out for a midnight stroll.

She strode with purpose, each step high enough to make her way through the snow with little difficulty. She stopped a few steps from them, holding a similar pair of cloaks to her own out to the couple. "It's only going to get colder, and these will make it easier to avoid detection."

Fox looked to Ally, who simply nodded. The Alpha stepped forward taking both bits of cloth before wrapping the larger one around her shoulders and handing the smaller to Ally.

"Now. You said you had a Contact?"

"A ship captain out of Mistral. An old smuggling buddy. No names, but I have a way to talk to them. Do you have the burner?"

Weiss nodded, holding out the scroll to the other Omega. Ally took it, opening it quickly and fiddling through it. _Alright, no obvious trackers, and a limited connection. She did get a burner._

"Good. As soon as we're out of Atlas, I can try and contact them. Hopefully, we can guarantee a ride to Sanus, even if it's nearer Vacuo than Vale."

"You have a lot of this thought out. You would have made a great specialist."

"We both know that wouldn't work with how Atlas is now."

They share a look of distrust for a moment before Ally turns. "There's an old tunnel system that collapsed not too long ago. The Faunus should have cleared it enough for us to slip through into The Underbelly."

"The Underbelly?"

"You're learnin' a lot today," Fox said simply. She kept a close pace to Ally, watching Weiss as they walked. _She's still so protective. It's almost cute. Though, I'm not sure if she actually knows about The Underbelly. It wouldn't hurt if she did but she doesn't seem the type to go to a place like that._

"I'm sure you brought Suppressors, your weapon, and a lot of dust. The guards at the opening to The Underbelly will search you. Be honest with what you brought, and they'll leave you be, lie, and you're liable to get gutted."

"And how do you know all of this?" _Really? Are you just probing for information, or did you really forget I'm a criminal?_

"I've had to go to a lot of… unsavory places while I helped people out of this kingdom."

"While you smuggled fugitives out."

"If you get outed, I'm sure you'd much rather be in Vale than here." She cut back, glaring at the closeted Omega. Weiss simply glared back as they pressed on. _She's useful, but Gods is she annoying._

_This is going to be a long damn journey, but at least what comes next is a bit more concrete now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And it begins! I told you guys this chapter would be the start of the actual adventure part! I hope this has you guys as excited as the new Volume has me excited! Anyway, I'm glad you guys made it this far, it really means a lot to me that people are actually interested in this story of mine! If you could, I'm a bit worried about how the second conversation with Weiss went, so if you're willing I'd love to hear some feedback! As always, a thanks to my Bea-ta reader and a thanks to you for joining me in this journey! I hope you enjoyed! Next time we go to The Underbelly! Gods, I'm excited for this one!


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